The ACC Preview
By Adam Barone In a conference sporting the likes of Florida State, Miami, Virginia Tech,
Georgia Tech, and Boston College, it’s a bit surprising to think that
the favorite is Clemson.
The Tigers are the big dog in the ACC, however, and have the weaponry to walk
the walk.
The conference as a whole has been sliding recently. Miami is no longer its
dominant self, Virginia Tech lost the Orange Bowl to upstart Kansas in January,
and Boston College without Matt Ryan isn’t likely to be all that intimidating.
No Atlantic Coast Conference champion has won a BCS bowl game in nine seasons.
Clemson deserves to be where it is this preseason though, so don’t underestimate
them.
Sports handicapping requires research and preparation, so here’s an idea
of how Ace sees the ACC shaking out for your NCAA football betting in 2008:
Rising: Clemson, North Carolina
Falling: Boston College, Virginia, Georgia Tech
Atlantic
1. Clemson: Tommy Bowden’s Tigers return 16 starters
and are loaded on offense.
All the key players for that unit are back for their senior seasons: quarterback
Cullen Harper, running back James Davis, and wide receivers Aaron Kelly and
Tyler Grisham. There’s talent on the line, but very little experience.
The secondary is a fantastic group of veterans, but is injury prone. Every starter
at linebacker is new, but the line is experienced and all seven are top notch
talents. Freshman Brandon Maye starting at middle linebacker could prove to
be the weak link as he develops this season.
2. Wake Forest: Jim Grobe has brought the Deacons from the
depths of obscurity and, with 16 starters returning this season, his team is
poised for another quality campaign.
Quarterback Riley Skinner, now a junior, will have the starting job for his
third straight season. He’s relaxed, poised in the pocket, and hits his
receivers in stride.
Sophomore running back Josh Adams is one of the bright up-and-comers in the
conference.
Nine starters return for a defense that will be led by seven seniors. The defense
will anchor the team while the offense searches for some explosiveness.
3. Maryland: Ralph Friedgen and his 16 returning starters
should invoke moderate fear of the turtle in 2008.
A decent group of quarterbacks will compete for the job, with junior Chris Turner
the favorite. There’s a ton of talent at receiver. Darrius Heyward-Bey
leads a group with plenty of depth. With just one new starter on the line, the
offense should have little trouble establishing itself as one of the better
units in the conference. Someone will have to claim the starting running back
job.
Linebacker will be a strength. Dave Philistin is one of the conference’s
best. With only one starter returning in the secondary, the all-senior front
line needs to apply pressure.
4. Boston College: Losing Matt Ryan to the NFL and only returning
11 starters leaves Jeff Jagodzinski in a tough spot.
One thing is for sure: the Eagles won’t be contending for a national title
like they did a year ago.
A new quarterback—senior Chris Crane and—and new tailback—freshman
Josh Haden—bring a big question mark to an otherwise reasonably experienced
offense.
The defensive front has the potential to be one of the conference’s elite.
It’s a unit that’s very adept at stopping the run. Defensive tackle
Ron Brace is a 325-pound monster who takes up plenty of space.
5. Florida State: Sometimes Bobby Bowden’s team seems
to get credit for being better than it really is. Fifteen starters return, and
this is one of those times.
Quarterback Drew Weatherford likes to throw the ball into crowded areas. That’s
usually a bad idea. There will be competition at quarterback.
Receiver Preston Parker, a sophomore, was arrested in April for possession of
marijuana and carrying a concealed weapon. That’s also usually a bad idea.
Up to ten players will be missing for the Noles at the beginning of the year
for cheating on tests. Again—bad idea. There’s too much B.S. here.
Don’t expect much.
6. North Carolina State: The Wolf Pack is going into the second
year of the Tom O’Brien era, but return just 10 starters from a 5-7 2007
team.
Decent playmakers are present at the skill positions on offense, unless you
count quarterback. Freshman Russell Wilson will get his shot behind center.
The line needs to be more physical, as the Pack was next to last in the conference
in rushing last season.
The defensive line wasn’t much better a season ago. They need to improve
against the run. Having only four starters return from that defense isn’t
necessarily a bad thing.
Coastal
1. Virginia Tech: Frank Beamer’s Hokies aren’t
as good this season as they are typically. They were fortunate enough, however,
to draw the delinquent “Coastal Division” when coming over from
the Big East. Va. Tech won’t even be in the top 25 in most pre-season
polls, but is the favorite in the division.
Just 11 starters return, but they include quarterbacks Sean Glennon and Tyrod
Taylor. That duo should continue to make things confusing for opposing defenses.
The loss of mega-star running back Branden Ore due to off-field concerns is
huge. Though, for the team to have released him he must have been an ax murderer,
so it was likely for the best. Freshman Darren Evans will take over.
Beamer has to work with just four returning starters on defense, but has plenty
of speed as usual. Cornerback Victor Harris is one of the best in the country.
The front four will need to step up.
2. North Carolina: As was expected when he was hired, Butch
Davis is moving the Heels up in the ACC world. Eighteen starters are back, and
sophomore signal caller T.J. Yates, assuming his arm strength has returned after
off-season shoulder surgery, is a future star.
There’s plenty of experience around Yates, and sophomore running back
Greg Little should have a breakout season. He moved from receiver last season
and was impressive.
Davis has done a great job recruiting talent on the defensive line. The front
seven is loaded with emerging talent.
This is one of the bright young teams in the country. Butch Davis’ recruits
are developing together and should make the Tar Heels a quality sleeper on the
national scene.
3. Virginia: Last season the Cavs had a 9-4 record. That’ll
be tough for Al Groh to repeat this year with only 11 starters back.
Running back Cedric Peerman’s success will be key for the offense. Receiver
Kevin Ogletree is coming back from a knee injury and should make an impact.
The secondary has some experience and adequate depth. All three starting linebackers—Clint
Sintim, Jon Copper, and Antonio Appleby return to lead the defense.
Both kickers are freshman.
4. Miami: Randy Shannon has major problems. Only nine starters
return for the Hurricanes, and they all probably bring guns to practice. This
Hurricanes squad won’t be very good, but after the game they’ll
cap your ass.
Running backs Graig Cooper and Javarris James form a quality tandem out of the
backfield, but there’s no one to play quarterback.
Not much experience exists on defense overall, but some in the secondary will
help out substantially. Defensive coordinator Bill Young comes in from Kansas,
bringing a new system that will take time to adapt to.
5. Georgia Tech: First year head man and former Navy coach
Paul Johnson and the Yellow Jackets are switching over to the triple-option.
With just eight starters returning, he won’t have much trouble wiping
the slate clean.
Getting the option to work in the ACC should prove quite a challenge. At the
very least the adjustment will take time. It’s hard to say what to expect
on offense, but sophomore quarterback Josh Nesbitt and sophomore back Jonathan
Dwyer will lead the charge.
There’s superior talent on defense, especially on the line. End Michael
Johnson and tackle Vance Walker have high-round NFL talent.
It’ll take time for Tech players to believe in this system. Expect this
to be a rebuilding year.
6. Duke: Duke cares so little about its football program that
its uniforms look like they were purchased at a local sporting goods store.
David Cutcliffe, the former offensive coordinator at Tennessee, will begin his
first season as a head coach with the Dukies. The upside: absolutely no pressure.
He can under promise and over deliver for a school that only cares about hoops.
There’s actually depth and some experience on offense at the skill positions.
Talent is in question. The middle of the o-line has holes.
Ten starters return to an experienced but mediocre defense.
Kicking may be a problem.
Read up on the other conferences that Ace has previewed for 2008!
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